Real Madrid remain optimistic in their quest to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United as the Frenchman continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

Reports have suggested that Zinedine Zidane is a fan of the midfielder and would like to lure him to the Bernabeu this summer. However, club president Florentino Perez has reservations having spent €300 million on new players already this window.

Previously, both Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola had publicly admitted their desire to leave United with the midfielder keen to explore new opportunities.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised Pogba's attitude during United's pre-season tour of Asia where the Red Devils secured four wins from as many games.

Pogba featured for United during their tour of Asia despite speculation about his future (Image: REUTERS)

According to ESPN , the Madrid president informed Zidane that it could be "difficult" to land Pogba this summer because United are reluctant to sell.

Zidane reportedly asked the club to make a second attempt at signing the World Cup winner and although United are believed to want €180 million for the player, Madrid are hoping they can strike an agreement.

The club were dealt an injury blow with Marco Asensio set to miss the majority of the upcoming campaign after suffering a serious knee injury during pre-season.

Having assessed his squad, Zidane is confident he has enough in attack to cope without Asensio and has called for the club to stage a last-ditch attempt to capture Pogba.

Zidane is attempting to convince Madrid to step up their pursuit of Pogba (Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)

The time parameters of the transfer window mean this deal is very much dependant on United. Premier League clubs cannot buy players after 5pm on August 8th however, they can sell until the last day of the month.

If United are unable to find a replacement for Pogba before the deadline, it is very unlikely they will allow him to leave which would scupper Madrid's plans.

They are attempting to gather funds through player sales and have placed a €40 million price tag on James Rodriguez , while Gareth Bale reportedly edges closer to the exit door.